Bartekh, Brisbane (2026)

03/01/2026

Happy New Year everyone!

I have been quiet and not had any updates as I only wanted to report back when I had positive news to share. Unfortunately, it is bittersweet news.

The good news is that the new custom made heatsinks, enclosure and electronics have been assembled. Everything fits and looks great! Please note: the pictures are just a prototype, and the cables still need to be tidied/polished up.

The bad news is – there is a ground loop
This is the biggest challenge people like me face with designing an audio amplifier. It is also a difficult task to identify the source. I have been tinkering for weeks trying to find the root cause of issue. Sadly, I am still banging my head into a wall with frustration - but I will keep on trying!

03/10/2025

Isaac doing the quality assurance inspection on the new enclosure!

Note I am still waiting for the new custom heatsinks to arrive, so I only have one at the moment.

30/09/2025

The first prototype panels are complete! It is a surreal feeling to have them physically here after all that time spent looking at them on the computer screen!

02/08/2025

Good news all around! I have found a local manufacturer to make the enclosure, and it is being built right now!

While that’s underway, I have finished the 12V trigger in/out PCB design.

Why would this amplifier need 12V trigger in and out?

1. It means equipment that has a 12V trigger out can turn on this amplifier. An example would be a network music streamer. Using your phone, you can turn on the streamer. The streamer will automatically turn on the amplifier through the 12V trigger interface. This means you can turn music on and off from your phone without having to go and physically turn on the equipment!

2. It can automatically turn on other equipment such as a subwoofer – saving you from having to turn on multiple devices.

This board has been a bit of a challenge since it handles mains voltage. However – I think this feature brings into the modern streaming setup!

29/04/2025

Here is render of the enclosure! It is pretty surreal looking back to where it all started. I started reading theory from electronics textbooks from the very beginning (I am talking Ohms law V=IR).

But now:
1. The electronic circuits have been simulated and designed,
2. The electronic circuits have been built and tested,
3. The amplifier as a while has been tested and sounds amazing, and
4. There is a render of how it could potentially look.

What a journey - I hope you all love the design!

Currently I am reaching out to suppliers to get this enclosure fabricated.

21/04/2025

I am so proud of the enclosure progress, and I just couldn’t resist posting a sneak preview of how it is coming along.

The concept behind the enclosure is:
1. It will have the chassis that will provide the strength and support the large heatsinks.
2. The heatsinks will be easily removable to allow for repairs on the power amplifier boards (these are mounted to the heatsink as shown in second image).
3. The enclosure will use plates and folded sheet for the outer skin. The outer skin will be mounted to the strong chassis. There are some features that I think you will all love but it took a lot of work in the design to make it work.

Please note that the image does not contain all the plates as I have to leave something for you all to look forward to!
I am just adding all the finishing touches and will be sending it out for quotes to bring it from a design in CAD and onto the bench space for some testing!

30/03/2025

There haven’t been any updates in some time as I have been busy:

1. Getting a new workstation computer for 3D CAD,

2. Getting a new 3D modelling package and learning how to use it to design the enclosure,

3. Spending lots of time on coming up with an enclosure idea.

The thing you may be wondering is how can it take so long to come up with an enclosure?

Established companies can use a variety of manufacturing techniques such as extrusion and machining to create any design they can draft up on the computer. However, as a small start-up, we don’t have as many options to choose from when it comes to manufacturing techniques. It limits it to folded sheet metal. This limits what geometry and profiles you can have for the panels, and you cannot just design anything in your CAD package.

It is not all bad news as you can have some amazing designs with folded sheet, but you just need to spend some time to consider:

1. Design for manufacturability – will it be possible for a local fabricator to make this enclosure. It is not just about making it as a one off. It is about being able to replicate each enclosure. This is about having consistency, so you don’t have fitment issues.

2. Design for assembly – will the enclosure be easy to assemble? To make a product affordable, it has to be simple and fast to assembly as excessive build time means higher costs to offset the labour.

3. Aesthetics – it has to look good. The goal of the amplifier is to have an enclosure that you would be proud to display. Having a great sounding amplifier is one thing, but you also want it to look nice in your home.

The initial enclosure concept is done and now I am working out the finer detailers in the internal frame. I reckon everyone will love it and be very pleased with the outcome once I get it made!

19/01/2025

This post is for those who just love numbers! I don’t mean that in a bad way as I personally am a numbers kind of guy.

Prototype 02 has been tested using the following equipment:
1. QuantAsylum QA403 audio analyser, and
2. QuantAsylum QA451 programmable 4/8 ohm load
I have provided a summary of the results and some screenshots from the audio analyser graphical user interface (GUI). I honestly couldn’t believe how good the results turned out to be. I actually wanted to cry from happiness. I will not compare them to other products on the market and go into detail – but you can see for yourselves how they compare to amplifiers on the market. I think you will also be quite impressed with what you find!

So, what next?
My favourite part – the enclosure design!!

02/01/2025

Today was a special day for me. Designing the amplifier has been a long and painful journey but today was one of those moments where I could stop and smell the roses.
I post all the milestones and achievements. But those moments are few and far between. The truth is, it has been a classic case of “one step forward and two steps back”. There have been several components burn out, strange things occurring that did not show up in the simulations, lots of mistakes and too many lessons learned. I would often go to bed going insane trying to think what is going on and what the next steps are to find the issue. At times I wondered if I will ever get to the finish line and release a product that is worthwhile. This is because making a good amplifier is easy, but making an excellent one is tough.

But today we set up the amplifier and connected it to some beautiful Australian made Krix Lyrix Gold speakers (4 ohm floor standing). We listened to some music and watched some scenes from a few movies. If I could describe the experience in one word – it would be ‘epic’.

It is moments like this that make me realise how I need to keep pushing and get to the finish line. It is because I know everyone who will sit down to watch a movie will be so immersed and have the best experience with it. I know people who want to get away from the world and listen to vinyl will just get sucked right into it as they forget about everything else.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope 2025 is the year you can all experience what I experienced today with the amplifier!

12/12/2024

Lately I have been posting images of circuit parts and electronics. But at the end of the day – you probably want to know what you can actually do with the amplifier.
Here is an image that shows the amplifier and what you can do with it.
Potential inputs:
1. Use to give stereo or 2.1 sound for your television or projector. You may be thinking “isn’t it better to have a surround sound setup?”
Let’s just say that you may be very surprised at how great a good stereo or 2.1 system will make your movies and games sound.
2. Smart speakers or smart devices. There is nothing like the convenience of smart devices where you can control them from your phone or voice.
3. CD player.
4. Record player.

What can you connect to the output of the amplifier?
1. Stereo speakers. With this amplifier you can hook up any speakers. From large floor standing 4 ohm speakers to some nice book shelf speakers and everything in between. This amplifier is designed to run them all!
2. Active subwoofer. If you want more oomph – you can add an active subwoofer to hit those low frequencies and rattle the very foundations of the building!

27/11/2024

A big milestone and such an emotional moment for me.
Prototype 02 involved the following:
1. A new preamplifier, and
2. A new power amplifier that was capable of running 4 ohm speakers

I am happy to announce it has been a success! Preliminary testing shows this new Prototype 02 is able to achieve amazing signal to noise ratio (SNR) and incredibly low total harmonic distortion (THD) at full power into 4 ohm speakers! Full power being 30 watts of pure Class A.
I don’t want to jinx myself and share the initial measurements – but let’s just say they have exceeded my expectations, and you are all going to love the outcome!

I have attached an overview to show the progress of the amplifier. The hardest bit is done and now it is downhill.

Note that the enclosure pictured is NOT the final enclosure. It is just a commercial off the shelf enclosure used to house and test the electronic circuits. The final enclosure will be done once electronics are perfected.

Bartekh

03/01/2026

03/10/2025

30/09/2025

02/08/2025

29/04/2025

21/04/2025

30/03/2025

19/01/2025

02/01/2025

12/12/2024

27/11/2024

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